Catalyze 2024: David Fischer

We’re asking thought leaders, business people and creatives to talk about the new year and give us catalyzing ideas for making St. Pete a better place to live. What should our city look like? What are their hopes, their plans, their problem-solving ideas? This is Catalyze 2024.

David Fischer has built a thriving enterprise catering to the inclusive atmosphere of St. Petersburg, welcoming both residents and visitors alike to one of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities.

After a 26-year career at Darden Restaurants, Fischer “retired,” moved to St. Pete and opened ZaZoo’d in 2013, a Central Avenue retail space with home decor, gifts, and furniture. ZaZoo’d also offers residential and commercial interior design services, with notable design projects like the Hollander Hotel, Avalon and Flute and Dram.

After seven successful years, Fischer took his vision further up Central, opening the speakeasy The Saint in late 2020, near Central and 24th St. N. 

“The concept took off right away. We were on a wait every single night we’d open, and we still, on the weekends, have a two-hour wait to get in there,” Fischer said. 

His success in the Grand Central District led Fisher to take on two additional ventures in 2021: LGBTQ bar Cocktail and The Wet Spot Pool Bar and Day Club, both on the same property as The Saint. Fischer said opening multiple businesses in the historic Mari Jean Hotel building wasn’t part of the original plan, but the homerun success of The Saint left Fischer thinking, “Why not? We’re in this building already. Of course, not even thinking that someday the hotel would come, the pool bar would come.”

Just in time for Pride 2023, the first phase of extensive renovations was completed at the Mari Jean Hotel, turning the historic property into an adults-only gay men’s hotel. The goal is not only to draw LGBTQ vacationers from all over to St. Petersburg but also to create a safe haven in Florida.

The Mari Jean Hotel. GoogleMaps.

“People say, ‘Is that needed in today’s time in St. Pete?’ and I would tell you, yes, obviously. You can see our political environment, unfortunately, is taking it backward in time. You don’t feel a lot of that in St. Pete, but if you’re a member of [the LGTBQ] community, there’s fear in it,” said Fischer. “When we get into how it impacted business this year, it’s pretty powerful to the message that our leadership for the state sent, and it’s deterred people from outside the state and internationally from visiting Florida.”

Despite setbacks in 2023, business has remained strong at Fischer’s establishments, heralding new plans and some changes in 2024. When The Saint first opened, Fischer partnered with Lolita’s Wine Market to serve tapas. With a recently built kitchen in the building, customers can expect new menus in the new year.

“We have quite a large kitchen in there, so now we do hot food for The Saint and Cocktail, and it’ll eventually phase up to the hotel and The Wet Spot,” Fischer said.

While the first phase of the remodeled Mari Jean Hotel opened this summer, Fisher said another floor of renovations will open up an entire floor of new rooms at the beginning of 2024.

“And then, I’m scared to say it, but I think I’m done,” Fisher said. “I don’t have the energy. I have no time. I mean, I’m still really busy doing design work. I have commercial projects and a lot of residential projects going on [at ZaZoo’d]. I’m trying to just keep my head above water, honestly.”

“This year has been rough. It’s not easy remodeling a building that’s from the 1920s. The whole building was the first fireproof building in St. Pete, so it’s all concrete and anything that happens, you’ve got to dig through concrete to get to it. If there’s a plumbing leak, you’ve got to dig through concrete, and it’s a big mess. It takes patience, which I don’t have, but my partner does, so we get through it.”

Despite Fischer’s insistence that no plans to open another business are on the horizon in the coming year, he ended his interview with the Catalyst by announcing plans to start a Winter Pride festival in February 2025, complete with a week-long roster of events, performances and a street festival.

“There’s a lot of work to be done.”